West Gippsland Hinterland Drive

185km | 2.5 hours

If you are travelling from Melbourne, you will know you have reached Gippsland when suburbia melts into rolling green country pastures. Officially kick off your road trip with a celebratory tipple at one of the wineries along the West Gippsland Wine Trail.

From Drouin you can cycle along the easy and family-friendly 8km Two Towns Trail (Drouin to Warragul), or bask in the leafy green parklands around the town like the manicured Civic Park or Robin Hood Reserve (Drouin).

Motor ahead down the Princes Hwy towards the relaxed country town of Yarragon. This town offers shopaholics all the knick-knacks they could dream of, with antiques, pottery, giftware, toys and galleries.

Turning north from the Princes Hwy at Moe, you will reach heavily forested mountainous landscapes. Rawson & Erica are located on the fringe of the Baw Baw National Park and are grand bases for 4WD adventures, epic hikes and mountain biking bliss, with the Erica Mountain Bike Park on the doorstep. The Thomson River offers kayak and white water rafting opportunities with some low grade rapids.

Walhalla is like nowhere else, set in a deep valley and surrounded by plunging hills. This picture-perfect town has a gold mining past that has been lovingly preserved.

If you have little kids with you or kids at heart, the train station the Walhalla Goldfields Railway is a restful journey that takes you through the surrounding forest, alongside the cheerfully ambling Stringers Creek, over trestle bridges and the impressive Thomson River Bridge.

48km | 1 hour

From Walhalla head 50km north west to Mt Baw Baw, ascending through healthy alpine forest on the gloriously winding South Face Rd. Part of this section is an unsealed road and care should be taken while driving.

This is 4x4 territory and you can use this area as a base to explore some of the region’s four wheel driving highlights, Aberfeldy Four Wheel Drive and South Face Road Four Wheel Drive.

Back on the touring route, stop off at the Mt Erica Car Park and breathe in the sweet mountain ash air on a 3km return walk to Mushroom Rocks. This trail covers a section of the Australian Alps Walking Track that leads to a maze of giant granite tors rising from the forest bed.

It is time to let out your inner adventurer at Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort. In green season the snowboard can be swapped for a mountain bike to zoom down the famed track, DH1. If a slower pace suits you, then pop on your hiking boots (or snow shoes in winter) and embark on the Mt Baw Baw Summit Walk to take in the serenity of the national park.

176km | 2.5 hours

We may have found an exception to the rule, whatever goes up must come down. When you finally peel yourself away from this glorious mountain, the trip to Noojee and Neerim South will keep your spirits high. Apart from idyllic townships tucked into the dreamy lush hills, this part of the world abounds in scenic walks and riding trails.

Your first stop is Noojee, which is the Aboriginal word for ‘resting place’, and is the perfect place to have a breather. The best way to experience the beauty of this little town is to meander (or cycle) along the Noojee Trestle Bridge Rail Trail. It follows the old railway line traversing mountain ash forest taking in the graceful historical trestle bridge, one of the only of its kind remaining in Victoria.

After a spot of lunch why not embark on an easy stroll to the absolutely stunning Toorongo & Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk (2.2km).

If you’ve got the energy reserves, the Ada Tree Rainforest Walk is a 40 minute detour from the drive, but the walk offers a marvellous peep at one of Victoria’s oldest trees, towering above you at 76m high, as you loop through magical cool temperate rainforest on the 3.2km walk.

When you are ready to get back in the car, your final destination of Neerim South awaits amongst lush hills. This artsy town has a gallery, cafes and gift stores to wander, and the Neerim South Wetlands are worth a visit. Stop into Apex Lookout on Main Neerim Road just north of town which rewards you with soulful views of the landscape and the nearby Tarago Reservoir.